The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles which are adapted to contain body exudates. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of making absorbent articles having prefastened side panels and absorbent articles made by the same.
It is desired that absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants or incontinence garments provide a close, comfortable fit about the wearer and contain body exudates. Moreover, it is desirable that such absorbent articles, after being soiled, can be removed from the wearer in a convenient and clean manner without undesirably soiling the care giver or surrounding area such as the clothes of the wearer. In certain circumstances, it is also desirable that such absorbent articles are capable of being pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer to allow the wearer or caregiver to easily pull the article on and easily remove the article if it has not been soiled. For example, such absorbent articles can assist in the toilet training of children.
Conventional diapers have typically included a front waist portion and a back waist portion which are releasably connected about the hips of the wearer during use by conventional fasteners such as adhesive tape fasteners or hook and loop type fasteners. For example, the conventional fasteners have typically included a pair of fasteners, such as adhesive tape tabs, located on the outermost corners of the diaper in the back waist region of the diaper and a complimentary fastener, such as a taping panel, located on the outer surface of the outer cover of the diaper in the front waist portion of the diaper. In such a configuration, the diaper has been positioned between the legs of the wearer and the adhesive tape tabs have been releasably attached to the taping panel to secure the back waist portion to the front waist portion of the diaper to secure the diaper about the waist of the wearer. Such conventional diapers are easy to fasten about and remove from the wearer after use without undesirably soiling the care giver. However, such conventional diapers are not provided in a prefastened configuration and thus are not configured to be pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer when the fasteners are attached.
Several attempts have been made to provide absorbent articles which effectively contain body exudates, are capable of being pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer and provide ease of cleaning and removal after being soiled. For example, some conventional absorbent articles, such as conventional training pants, have included integral side panels which connect the front waist portion to the back waist portion of the absorbent article. The side panels have been made stretchable such that the waist opening of the absorbent article can expand to allow the absorbent article to be pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer if desired. Such side panels have also been designed such that they may be torn to remove the training pant from the wearer after it has been soiled.
However, many of such attempts have not been completely satisfactory. For example, absorbent articles such as training pants have not always been able to achieve a close conforming fit to the wearer while still being able to expand enough to be pulled up and down over the hips of the wearer. Often such training pants fit the waist of the wearer loosely which can undesirably result in leaks. As a result, many of such articles have not contained bodily exudates as effectively as conventional diaper-type articles which can be adjusted to achieve a more conforming fit to the wearer. Moreover, the removal of soiled absorbent articles which have integral side panels, such as conventional training pants, has not always been completely satisfactory. For example, the side panels have been difficult to tear when attempting to remove the article from the waist of the wearer instead of pulling the article down over the hips of the wearer.
Accordingly, despite the attempts to develop improved absorbent articles, there remains a need for absorbent articles which can provide the benefits of conventional training pants and conventional diapers. That is, there remains a need for absorbent articles which conform to the wearer to effectively contain bodily exudates, which are capable of being pulled up and down over the hips and buttocks of the wearer without opening, and which are readily secured about and removed from the wearer in a convenient and clean manner. Moreover, there is a need for improved methods of reliably and consistently making such absorbent articles.
In response to the difficulties and problems discussed above, new methods of making a prefastened disposable absorbent articles which have an adjustable fastening system have been discovered. In one aspect, the present invention concerns a method of making a prefastened disposable absorbent article which includes providing a continuous web of interconnected absorbent articles, releasably attaching a pair of opposed side panels to one of the waist regions on each of the interconnected absorbent articles, selectively cutting the continuous web into discrete absorbent articles, folding each of the discrete absorbent articles thereby positioning the waist regions in a facing relationship; and securing side portions of the side panels to the side edges of the article in the opposite waist region to provide the prefastened absorbent article. Each of the opposed side panels includes a primary fastener thereon which releasably engages the one waist region to provide the releasable attachment. Each of the side portions of the side panels extends laterally outward beyond the side edges of the absorbent article in the one waist region for securement to the side edges of the opposite waist region.
In another aspect, the present invention concerns a method of making a prefastened disposable absorbent article which defines a front waist region, a back waist region, a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions, a pair of opposed side edges and a pair of opposed waist edges. The method comprises the steps of:
a) providing a continuously moving web of outer cover material;
b) intermittently connecting multiple absorbent chassis to the outer cover material to provide a continuously moving web of interconnected absorbent articles each of which includes one of the absorbent chassis;
c) releasably attaching a pair of opposed side panels to the front waist region on each of the absorbent articles wherein each of the opposed side panels includes a primary fastener thereon which releasably engages an outer surface of the absorbent article in the front waist region and wherein each of the side panels defines side portions which extend laterally outward beyond the side edges of the absorbent article in the front waist region;
d) releasably bonding the side panels to the front waist region to assist the primary fasteners in providing the releasable attachment of the side panels to the front waist region;
e) selectively cutting the continuous web of interconnected absorbent articles into discrete absorbent articles;
f) folding each of the discrete absorbent articles about a fold line extending in a lateral direction through the crotch region of the absorbent article thereby positioning the waist regions of the absorbent article in a facing relationship; and
g) securing the side portions of the side panels to the side edges of the absorbent article in the back waist region to provide the prefastened absorbent article.
In yet another aspect, the present invention concerns a prefastened disposable absorbent article which defines a front waist region, a back waist region, a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions, a pair of opposed side edges and a pair of opposed waist edges. The absorbent article includes a pair of opposed side panels which define side portions which are attached to the laterally opposed side edges of the back waist region of the absorbent article. The side panels include a primary fastener located thereon which releasably engages an outer surface of the absorbent article in the front waist region to provide the prefastened absorbent article. The absorbent article also includes a pair of releasable side bonds which are located on the side panels between the primary fastener and the side portion. The releasable side bonds releasably connect the side panels to the front waist region to assist the primary fasteners in maintaining the prefastened absorbent article in a prefastened condition.
In still another aspect, the present invention concerns a prefastened disposable absorbent article which defines a front waist region, a back waist region, a crotch region which extends between and connects the waist regions, a pair of opposed side edges and a pair of opposed waist edges. The absorbent article includes a pair of opposed side panels which define side portions which are attached to the laterally opposed side edges of the back waist region of the absorbent article. The side panels include a primary fastener located thereon which releasably engages an outer surface of the absorbent article in the front waist region to provide the prefastened absorbent article. The prefastened absorbent article is made by a process which includes:
a) releasably engaging the primary fastener on each of the opposed side panels to the outer surface of the absorbent article in the front waist region;
b) folding the absorbent article about a fold line extending in a lateral direction through the crotch region of the absorbent article thereby positioning the waist regions in a facing relationship; and
c) securing the side portions of the side panels to the side edges of the absorbent article in the back waist region to provide the prefastened absorbent article.
The present invention advantageously provides methods of making prefastened disposable absorbent articles which include an adjustable fastening system for improved fit and performance and absorbent articles made by the same. In particular, the present invention provides methods of attaching prefastened side panels to and folding a disposable absorbent articles in a reliable and consistent manner. The absorbent articles of the present invention are capable of being reliably pulled up or down over the hips of the wearer to assist in the toilet training of the wearer similar to conventional training pants. Moreover, similar to conventional diapers, the absorbent articles of the present invention can advantageously be applied to and removed from the wearer after they have been soiled with relative ease and cleanliness.